Hosea 7:7-16

7 All were made hot as an oven, and they devoured their judges. All the kings of them fell down, and none is among them that crieth to me. (All of them were made as hot as an oven, and they destroyed their rulers, or their leaders. All their kings fell down, and no one is among them who crieth to me.)

8 Ephraim himself was meddled among peoples; Ephraim was made a loaf baken under ashes, which is not turned again. (The people of Ephraim have mixed, or mingled, themselves in among the nations; Ephraim was made like a loaf baked under ashes, that is not turned, or is only half-baked.)

9 Aliens ate the strength of him, and he knew not; but also hoar hairs were shed out in him, and he knew not. (Strangers, or foreigners, ate up their strength, but they knew it not; and their gray hair turned white, but they knew it not.)

10 And the pride of Israel shall be made low in the face thereof; they turned not again to their Lord God, and they sought not him in all these things. (And the pride of Israel shall be made low before them; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and they have not sought him, even after all these things.)

11 And Ephraim was made like to a culver deceived, not having heart. They called Egypt to help, they went to Assyrians. (And Ephraim was made like a silly pigeon, yea, without having any sense. First they called to Egypt for help, then they went to Assyria, or to the Assyrians.)

12 And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad on them my net, I shall draw them down as a bird of the air. I shall beat them, by the hearing of the company of them. (And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad my net upon them, and I shall draw them down like a bird in the air. I shall beat them, like their company, or their congregation, hath heard/I shall beat them, for the evil which they have done.)

13 Woe to them for they went away from me; they shall be destroyed, for they trespassed against me. And I again-bought them, and they spake leasings against me (And I wanted to save, or rescue, them, but they spoke lies about me).

14 And they cried not to me in their heart, but yelled in their beds. They chewed cud on wheat, and wine, and they went away from me. (And they did not cry to me in their hearts, but wailed upon their beds. They gashed, or wounded, themselves for corn, and for wine, and they went away from me.)

15 And I taught, and comforted the arms of them, and they thought malice against me. (And I taught them, and I strengthened them, and still they thought malice against me.)

16 They turned again, that they should be without yoke; they be made as a guileful bow. The princes of them shall fall down by sword for the strong vengeance of their tongue; this is the scorning of them in the land of Egypt. (They turned away again, so that they would be without my yoke; they be made like a crooked bow. And so their leaders shall fall down by the sword because of the boasting and the deceitfulness of their tongues; this shall be their mocking in the land of Egypt.)

Hosea 7:7-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 7

This chapter either begins a new sermon, discourse, or prophecy, or it is a continuation of the former; at least it seems to be of the same argument with the latter part of it, only it is directed to Israel alone; and consists of complaints against them because of their manifold sins, and of denunciations of punishment for them. They are charged with ingratitude to God, sinning in a daring manner against mercy, and with falsehood, thefts, and robberies, Ho 7:1; with want of consideration of the omniscience of God, and his notice of their sins, which surrounded them, Ho 7:2; with flattery to their king and princes, Ho 7:3; with adultery, which lust raged in them like a heated oven, Ho 7:4; with drunkenness, aggravated by drawing their king into it, Ho 7:5; with raging lusts, which devoured their judges, made their kings to fall, and brought on such a general corruption, that there were none that called upon the Lord, Ho 7:6,7; with mixing themselves with the nations of the earth, and so learning their ways, and bringing their superstition and idolatry into the worship of God, so that they were nothing in religion, like a half baked cake, Ho 7:8; with stupidity and insensibility of their declining state, Ho 7:9; with pride, impenitence, and stubbornness, Ho 7:10; with folly, in seeking to Egypt and Assyria for help, and not to the Lord; for which they would be taken as birds in a net, and sorely chastised, Ho 7:11,12; with ingratitude, hypocrisy, and deceitfulness; for all which they are threatened with destruction, Ho 7:13-16.